Criminal Justice Colleges in Montana

With wide open spaces and breathtaking scenery, Montana is ideal for students who enjoy the great outdoors. Its four seasons provide beauty and recreation for all tastes. Cities and towns are widely scattered, as are most Montana criminal justice colleges.

Montana Criminal Justice Colleges

Depending on your location, you can attend a brick-and-mortar school or study online. You can earn a certificate, an associate's, or a bachelor's degree, and even go on to graduate work. Police jobs in Montana require taking an entrance exam and training in Montana's police academy at Helena where community relations, physical fitness, weapons training and driving skills are taught. Other Montana law enforcement jobs cover security at all levels, evidence gathering, corrections, forensics, and even criminal law to prosecute or defend the accused. Because Montana shares a border with Canada, federal border patrol jobs are also available.

Salaries and Outlook for Law Enforcement Jobs in Montana

Salaries in criminal justice vary depending on experience and training. Check out some mean annual wages for common law enforcement jobs in Montana with national wages in parentheses:

Police and sheriff's patrol officer: $42,720 ($55,180)

Detectives and investigators: $61,430 ($65,860)

Correctional officers and jailers: $31,490 ($42,610)

Security guards: $25,500 ($26,430)

Despite the current economic crisis, Montana authorities report sufficient funding to cover future law enforcement needs and excellent opportunities in all aspects of criminal justice. A college degree gives candidates a distinct advantage in securing employment in law enforcement positions. In 2010, Montana had the sixth best crime rate compared to rest of the USA, an improvement over 2009 when Montana came in seventh. According to the National Institute of Corrections, Montana had a crime rate that was 22 percent lower than the national average in 2008 and 91 percent of those crimes were property crimes.